Classic Fudge-Walnut Brownies

The most recent recipe in the competition, it won unanimously because of the intense richness from cocoa, melted chocolate, and chocolate chunks. --Recipe by Maureen Callahan, September 2011

Ingredients

3.38 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3/4 cup)

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup bittersweet chocolate chunks, divided

1/3 cup fat-free milk

6 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, divided

Cooking spray

Nutritional Information

Calories 186

Fat 9.1g

Satfat 4.2g

Monofat 2.2g

Polyfat 1.7g

Protein 2.8g

Carbohydrate 25.4g

Fiber 1.4g

Cholesterol 30mg

Iron 0.9mg

Sodium 74mg

Calcium 23mg

Calories 186

Fat 9.1g

Satfat 4.2g

Monofat 2.2g

Polyfat 1.7g

Protein 2.8g

Carbohydrate 25.4g

Fiber 1.4g

Cholesterol 30mg

Iron 0.9mg

Sodium 74mg

Calcium 23mg

How to Make It

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°.

Step 2

Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl. Combine 1/2 cup chocolate and milk in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds. Stir in butter, vanilla, and eggs. Add milk mixture, 1/2 cup chocolate, and 1/4 cup nuts to flour mixture; stir to combine.

Step 3

Pour the batter into a 9-inch square metal baking pan coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup nuts. Bake at 350° for 22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs clinging. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 20 pieces.

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Ratings & Reviews

acureese's Review

Delicious! Note: I had to bake them much longer to make them hard enough, even 25 mins was too gooey- needed 30+. My oven usually requires a few extra minutes, but not this much. Just an fyi if you're on a time constraint, otherwise MAKE THEM!! Sooo good! :)

JanienePape's Review

The brownies were delicious, no question. They are 4 points per portion in weight watchers, which of course is great, however, the portion is very small. It is the same size as those one bite brownies you might get at the super market. So you eat your one bite and then stare really hard at the plate since you want to gobble the remaining portions immediately! I would agree with the other reviewers. Even though the batter appears sufficiently moist there is a problem with the directions. It specifically notes that the expected cooking time is 22 minutes. You are suppose to test it with a tooth pick and it should come out basically dry with some crumbs sticking to it. If you wait for this result, it will be dry and crumbly, and it will take at least double the amount of time to get there. I think the key is what others realized, cook it a little longer then the directions specify, like about 10 minutes and regardless of what the toothpick looks like, pull them out.

rhiannonkatieri's Review

Sweet holy chocolate! Is it still light if I eat the whole pan? I needed to cook it for more like 35 min before it stopped being jiggly, but maybe my oven was off. I will investigate. I am super picky about my brownies. They need to be moist and dense and super chocolatey. I actually won't get brownies from most restaurants since they don't fit the bill, and I think box brownies tend to have horrible fake chocolate and overwhelming vanilla notes. These were perfect.

CEBedford's Review

These are the best brownies ever! I only had a 8-inch square glass baking dish, so like other reviewers said, I had to bake an extra 20 minutes or so. I added 1 Tbsp of instant espresso powder to the chocolate and milk before microwaving. Complements the chocolate flavor without a noticeable coffee taste.

yumyummies's Review

I make these brownies at least once a month. Seriously. It's a really easy recipe, and they taste spectacular. You can share these if you really want to, but I usually don't!
Just a couple notes on comments I've seen in other reviews:
1. Even if you use the pan the recipe calls for, you still might need more time. I bake mine from 24-26 minutes each time in a metal 8x8 pan. 2. I bake them for the longer time if my batter is more liquidy. My normal batter is extremely thick. Make sure you don't use any more than the milk called for, and accurately measure the dry ingredients to get the best consistency. 3. Never be afraid to add more chocolate chips. I measure them out, kind of, but...then I add some more. I don't measure the nuts. I just pour in what I want.
4. I use pecans instead of walnuts because walnuts are expensive and I get pecans for free from pecan trees. 5. I firmly believe that slightly underdone brownies are always better than dry ones. Gooey but baked is best, though.

The Best Brownies!

Consistently delicious. It could do with a little less sugar. I reduced granulated sugar to 3/4 cup. I could even use less. Definitely add a Tbsp of instant coffee. I baked it in a glass dish lined with al foil. I had to bake it atleast five minutes longer.

jmeleeS's Review

At first I thought I did something "wrong" because while my batter looked correct before I baked these babies, they would NOT set in the oven (I think my total cook time rang in to the tune of 35-40 min total). I finally just removed them and hoped for the best since the edges were getting done and the top started to get that nice crackle on top. While the middle of the brownies acted more like a lava fudge cake (oh so ooey, gooey), my husband and I could not get enough of these brownies. The whole pan was gone in just a few days and I would always think about these treats after dinner to top off my meal. These will honestly disappear when you make them. Next time I plan to up my flour to ~1 cup to see if they set better (I also didn't add nuts; I don't care for them in brownies). Other than that, can't complain about this recipe - so chocolately, so delicious. Enjoy!